Gone Too Soon: Stars We Lost Before The Age Of 30

The recent Amy Winehouse tragedy has caused many to look at stars that died at 27, but unfortunately there's a longer list of stars that died before they saw their 30th birthdays. Hold up a candle and let's take a trip down the path of souls we lost too soon.

Amy Winehouse - Let's start with the most recent. Amy's death at 27 was so tragic because everyone saw it coming. She just couldn't seem to get the help she needed in time. Too, too bad.

Big L - There was a time when Big L was on his way to being a household name like Jay-Z, but he was killed at the young age of 24 back in 1999. He was definitely on his way to greatness, though.

Tupac - He narrowly dodged the curse of the 27-year-old, but unfortunately he dodged it on the wrong side of the age, perishing before seeing 27. Still, his legacy as a rap pioneer and activist lives on more than a decade after he passed.

Notorious B.I.G. - Biggie Smalls is still largely recognized as the greatest rapper of all time. He'd be one of the biggest names in all of entertainment if here were still here. He did pretty well for himself during his time here, though.

Aaliyah - One of the biggest tragedies anyone older than 18 can remember. She was gone way too young and died in a plane crash of all things. She was only 22! That's too, too young.

Heath Ledger - He died right when he was going to be the biggest star in Hollywood. Ledger's portrayal of The Joker was one of the great movie performances of all time, but he wasn't around to see himself in the movie.

Selena - She had a movie based on her life and touched so many lives that it's easy to forget that she was only 24 when she died. Talk about leaving a legacy. She was so important that the movie of her life sparked J. Lo's career. Talk about influence.

Jimmy Hendrix - Of course there's Jimmy, who is the most infamous member of the 27 club. His name has been all around since Amy's death. At least it reminds people of his greatness.

Frankie Lymon - Did you see "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" about Frankie and all the women that swooned over him? Well they did because he was the first teen heartthrob we've seen. But the party life caught up to him as he died of a heroin overdose at the tender age of 25.

Otis Redding - His name is all over these days thanks to a well-placed sample from Kanye West and Jay-Z's newest song. But people forget that he died at the age of 26 in a brutal, freak plane crash.